If you’ve been experiencing a mold problem in your home, using ozone could be an effective way to minimize the health risks and prevent the mold from spreading further.
However, does ozone kill mold?
And can it completely fix the problem altogether?
Below, you can learn more about mold, how it thrives, how ozone can be used as a remedy, as well as the drawbacks of using ozone to alleviate mold spores.
Does Ozone Kill Mold?
What Mold is?
Mould is an organism that thrives in areas that are damp and warm.
It’s also a type of fungus and it commonly grows in people’s homes without them even realizing it.
When mold accumulates in your home, it can become extremely toxic and dangerous.
It’s also common for mold to cause the foundations of homes to become weaker.
Therefore, homes with a build-up of mold also often have areas that are more prone to rotting. So, leaving mold to accumulate for too long can lead to some expensive repairs to your home.
Materials that have developed mold growth on a deeper level cannot be salvaged.
In many cases, materials such as wallboard will need to be completely removed and replaced because mold that’s already there can continue growing at a more rapid pace.
According to AirHonest.com, an accumulation of mold in your home can cause you to experience symptoms related to allergic reactions and make an asthmatic’s condition worse.
If you’ve been experiencing breathing issues, a runny nose, or itchy eyes, it could be due to a build-up of mold.
Testing Your Home For Mold
How can you be sure that your home has been infested with mould?
Well, there are mould testing kits available that are easy to use.
These test kits enable you to discover whether the mould in your home is toxic or not.
If the mold is toxic, it means that the organism has been given a lot of time to grow and it’s a much bigger problem.
In this case, it’s recommended to hire professionals to come in and clean your home from toxic mould.
Can Ozone Kill Toxic Mold?
Ozone can be used as a method to reduce mold that has become toxic, however, when it’s toxic, many pieces of mold need to be removed physically.
That’s why it’s recommended for professionals to come in as they’ll need to seal the entire area to contain the toxic mould.
HAZMAT suits are often worn while physically getting rid of the mold.
Ozone can be used as more of an effective tool to remove mold particles after the physical pieces have been removed.
Be sure to consult a professional before using ozone to remove mould spores from your home to make sure that it’s not toxic.
Ozone & Killing Mold
Ozone generators can be used to release ozone into the air in your home where they’re able to target various particles, including mould spores.
We also advise that you limit your expectations of how effective ozone can be at killing mould in your home.
You can utilize ozone as a way to reduce mold spores in your home and prevent them from spreading.
However, ozone generators are unlikely to completely kill all of the molds in your home if it has been growing for some time.
The reason why ozone can prevent mold from spreading further is that it’s able to latch itself onto the mold spores and alter the cell composition of the mold.
As a result, mold spores aren’t allowed to continue growing.
Ozone Generators & Mold
The easiest way to use ozone to minimize mould growth in your home is by using an ozone generator.
You can find ozone generators for homes that are made to be smaller than the commercial-grade ones that are used in larger establishments.
There are a couple of different kinds of ozone generators that you can choose from. There are ones that only produce ozone and there are others that feature ozone features with HEPA filters.
The ozone generators with HEPA filters can be effective for reducing mould spores as well as other pollutant particles in the air.
They include pet dander, allergens, smoke, and dust particles.
There are air purifiers, such as the Winix 5500-2 that come with PlasmaWave technology that can break down mould spores without releasing potentially harmful ozone.
They also feature true HEPA filters for removing other pollutants from being airborne in your home.
You can also find ozone generators that feature UV lights.
The UV lights can be a great way to get rid of more viruses and bacteria in the air that may have been caused by the build-up of mold spores.
You should be aware that ozone emitted from generators are only able to target mould that has accumulated on the surface.
If mould has grown inside your walls, ozone won’t be able to get through and have any kind of effect.
Furthermore, before you start using an ozone generator, we recommend that you deal with any moisture build-up in your home.
This is because mold can multiply quicker in damp areas and using ozone will have little effect until you’ve found out where the moisture is coming from and dealt with it.
How to Safely Use Ozone
Ozone is considered to be potentially harmful to people and pets who are in the room at the same time as the machine is running.
Therefore, it’s best to set up your ozone generator at a time where you can keep people and pets out of the room.
Some ozone generators come with a timer function so that you can set it to start working at a specific time where no one will be in the room.
When you’re exposed to ozone in high quantities, it can become toxic.
This is especially when it comes to using ozone to reduce mold spores as it needs to be released at levels that are toxic for humans and pets to be effective enough to help with your mold problem.
Once the ozone machine has finished, be sure to air out the area so that the ozone can escape from your home.
It can take up to 25 hours for ozone to be completely gone from your home.
Therefore, you may want to avoid spending too much time in the room where you released ozone for a couple of days.
Using ozone can be dangerous, but as long as you know how to use ozone in the proper ways, you’ll be able to minimize your mold spores and avoid any side effects from ozone.
Ozone Shock Treatment
Using ozone for a shock treatment involves getting rid of everything in the room that contains fabric.
Many people prefer to cover the furniture in plastic instead of completely removing couches and beds from the room.
You should also make sure that there are no people, pets, or plants in the room.
It’s recommended to put tape over electrical outlets and remove and other electrical items in the room.
You can then turn the ozone generator on to operate continuously in a sealed room for up to 24 hours.
When the professionals carry out ozone shock treatments, they may run the machines for up to 72 hours.
However, this is not recommended if you’re doing ozone shock treatments on your own.
Using 1,000 mg/h of ozone for every 100 square feet is the recommended amount to ensure that the ozone can work effectively as a shock treatment.
If the room has a ceiling fan or a standing fan that you can include, it can be a great way to boost the overall airflow in the area to provide the ozone with better coverage.
Performing ozone shock treatments isn’t necessarily recommended as it can release high quantities of ozone that can be harmful.
However, if you are going to do it for yourself, be sure to use the aforementioned tips.
Ozone & Mold Odor
One of the common problems that people notice when it comes to developing mold spores in their homes is that it can lead to an unpleasant odor.
Being able to smell mold is a sign that you’re inhaling the toxins which can lead to health problems.
Ozone generators can be an effective way to get rid of the odors from mold spores.
The machines that come with HEPA filters can be fantastic for being able to target the smaller particles that are causing the odors.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you’ve been able to gain some valuable information on what ozone can and can’t do when it comes to fixing mold problems in your home.
Before you go ahead and start using an ozone generator for yourself, it’s best to make sure that you’ve done a thorough job of removing humidity and moisture.
Using ozone to reduce mold in areas that are humid and damp will have little effect as these are the conditions that mould can multiply in.
Ozone can only be an effective method to reduce mold spores once moisture and humidity have been dealt with first.
In addition to this, getting rid of the physical mold that has become trapped in floors and walls is also necessary.
Ozone isn’t able to penetrate through walls and target all mold growth areas.
It’s only able to minimize mold spores and particles that are on surfaces within the room.
You can use the information and tips throughout this post to feel more confident about whether using ozone to fix your mold issue is the right choice.
